April 1
1800s 1900s 1910s *1914 - Rube Waddell dies from tuberculosis in San Antonio, Texas, at the age of 37. One of the top left handed pitchers in major league history, Waddell led the American League for six years in a row, collected four consecutive 20-win seasons from 1902-1906, including the Triple Crown in 1905 with 27 wins, 287 strikeouts and a 1.48 ERA, leading the league in all pitching categories. Waddell, who dies in a sanitarium, had seen his condition weakened by his efforts to contain a winter flood in Kentucky. He will be selected to the Hall of Fame by the Special Veterans Committee in 1946. 1920s 1930s *1939 - Phil Niekro is born in Blaine, Belmont County, Ohio. “Knucksie” will make his major league debut in 1964 with the Milwaukee Braves. He will win 318 games over a 24-year career and will gain election to the Hall of Fame in 1997. 1940s *1942 - Major league owners decide not to allow furloughed players in the military to play for their clubs if based near a game site. *1947 - In anticipation of the signing of the first black players, Bill Veeck, a resident of Phoenix, Arizona, sets up a spring training camp there for the Cleveland Indians. Arizona is chosen because of its relatively tolerant racial climate. During the season, Veeck will sign the American League first black player, Larry Doby, who will train at the camp. The New York Giants also set up camp in Arizona, while the Brooklyn Dodgers move their training camp from Florida to Havana, Cuba. *1949 - The St. Louis Browns, owners of Sportsman's Park, move to evict the St. Louis Cardinals in order to gain a rent increase. 1950s *1954 - Boston Red Sox slugger Ted Williams breaks his collarbone in his first spring training practice and will be out until May 15. 1960s *1962 - The Detroit Tigers sign University of Detroit basketball star Dave DeBusschere. He will pitch effectively in 1962 and 1963 with the Chicago White Sox, but will gain much more notoriety as a key member of the New York Knicks’ NBA championship teams of 1970 and 1973. *1963 - The New York Mets purchase veteran outfielder Duke Snider from the Los Angeles Dodgers. Snider, one of the most popular players in the New York City area, starred for the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1947 to 1957. The future Hall of Fame will hit 14 home runs for the Mets in 1963. *1969: **1969 - Mickey Mantle retires. He ends his career with 2,415 hits and 536 home runs in 18 years with the New York Yankees, numbers that would have certainly been higher if not for persistent knee injuries. **The Seattle Pilots trade little-known minor league outfielder Lou Piniella to the Kansas City Royals for two prospects. Piniella will hit .282 with 11 home runs and 68 RBI, good enough to win]] American League Rookie of the Year honors. 1970s *1970 - An ownership group headed up by automobile dealer Allen (Bud) Selig buys the Seattle Pilots for $10.8 million. Selig will move the Pilots to Milwaukee and rename the team the “Brewers.” The Pilots had lost $1 million during their lone season in Seattle. 1980s *1982 - The New York Mets trade popular center fielder and teen idol Lee Mazzilli to the Texas Rangers for minor league pitchers Ron Darling and Walt Terrell. Darling will emerge as an important member of the Mets' starting rotation and a key contributor to their 1986 World Championship. *1987 - The Pittsburgh Pirates trade All-Star catcher Tony Peña to the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for catcher Mike Lavalliere, outfielder Andy Van Slyke, and pitcher Mike Dunne. Van Slyke will hit 21 home runs for the Pirates in 1987 and emerge as a Gold Glove-caliber center fielder. *1988 - For the first time since 1956, the Veterans Committee does not elect anyone to the Hall of Fame. Phil Rizzuto, Leo Durocher, Joe Gordon, and Gil Hodges are among the candidates passed over. 1990s *1996 - Longtime umpire John McSherry collapses and dies from a heart attack on Opening Day at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium. The 51-year-old McSherry had umpired in the National League for 26 seasons. 2000s Births *1856 - Ed Kennedy, outfielder (d. 1905) *1857 - Dan Cronin, infielder/outfielder (d. 1885) *1858 -Fred Mann, outfielder (d. 1916) *1858 - John Russ, pitcher (d. 1912) *1860 - Wes Curry, pitcher (d. 1933) *1876 - Bill Friel, infielder (d. 1959) *1884 - Hugo Bezdek, manager (d. 1952) *1890 - George Young, outfielder (d. 1950) *1892 - Claude Cooper, outfielder (d. 1974) *1894 - Hal Reilly, outfielder (d. 1957) *1904 - Jack Cummings, catcher (d. 1962) *1911 - Bob Brown, pitcher (d. 1990) *1912 - Jake Wade, pitcher *1913 - Buster Bray, outfielder (d. 1982) *1914 - George Bradley, outfielder (d. 1982) *1914 - Moe Franklin, infielder (d. 1978) *1915 - Jeff Heath, All-Star outfielder (d. 1975) *1916 - George Staller, outfielder (d. 1916) *1917 - Chet Ross, outfielder *1921 - Red Murff, pitcher *1926 - Jake Thies, pitcher *1934 - Rod Kanehl, infielder/outfielder (d. 2004) *1935 - Tom Qualters, pitcher *1936 - Ron Perranoski, pitcher *1936 - Ted Sadowski, pitcher *1939 - Phil Niekro, Hall of Fame pitcher *1941 - Dick Kenworthy, infielder *1942 - Jake Jaeckel, pitcher *1943 - Mike Degerick, pitcher *1944 - Rusty Staub, All-Star outfielder *1948 - Willie Montañez, All-Star infielder *1952 - Mike Bacsik, pitcher *1953 - Larry Murray, outfielder *1956 - Mark Esser, pitcher *1957 - Manny Castillo, infielder *1958 - Mike Kinnunen, pitcher *1962 - Rich Amaral, infielder *1969 - Frank Castillo, pitcher *1970 - Matt Herges, pitcher *1971 - José Martínez, pitcher Deaths *1914 - Rube Waddell, Hall of Fame pitcher (b. 1876) *1922 - Leech Maskrey, outfielder (b. 1854) *1922 - Harry Smith, catcher (b. 1890) *1928 - Marr Phillips, infielder (b. 1857) *1934 - Barney Gilligan, catcher (b. 1856) *1943 - Pat Deasley, catcher (b. 1857) *1946 - George Strief, infielder (b. 1856) *1947 - Mike Lynch, outfielder (b. 1875) *1948 - Heinie Jantzen, outfielder (b. 1890) *1965 - Ernie Walker, outfielder (b. 1890) *1964 - Casey Hageman, pitcher (b. 1887) *1966 - John Sullivan, outfielder (b. 1890) *1968 - Tom Cantwell, pitcher (b. 1888) *1975 - Pete Bigler, infielder (b. 1892) *1983 - Calvin Chapman, infielder/outfielder (b. 1910) *1991 - Frankie Gustine, All-Star outfielder (b. 1920) *1996 - John McSherry, umpire (b. 1944) *2001 - Jo-Jo Moore, All-Star outfielder (b. 1908)